“Just breathe,” he told himself as he navigated Telluride’s thrilling trek. Studded with steel rungs and strung with ropes, Via Ferrata—one of the few of its kind in the U.S.—soars 2,000 feet high and offers aerial views of a tree-littered valley and the town. The adrenaline-pumping, two-mile expedition includes navigating a rock wall, walking along a sheer cliff trail only a foot wide...
I don't just plan trips, I change lives. When a couple comes to me in need of a romantic getaway, it's especially exciting to plan a travel experience that is not only out-of-the-box and inspiring but that also stops time. An insider tip I love to give my clients is the special opportunity to make their own scrubs at Hacienda AltaGracia's spa. The team of massage therapists assist you in mixing your bathtub blend with lush tropical oils, bottling the scent of Costa Rica for you to take home.
We only put 130 miles on our rented car— 65 miles to the Madeline, and 65 back to the airport. The car lived in the lap of luxury in the parking garage our entire stay, largely thanks to Telluride’s free gondola.
There’s one thing you need to know about Aspen; you’ll come for the winter, and stay for the summer. Ski season might be total heaven, but the world-renowned events going on during the warmer months make it tough to say goodbye come September.
A little minerality from the land and the salty, sweet flavor of the Sea of Cortez along with what is in season, organic and sustainable are my favorite ingredients. I like to think that all our raw ingredients have a story.
“Am I really here? Can you pinch me?” said my husband almost every morning during our coffee-sourcing trip to Hacienda AltaGracia. We came to select the perfect beans for our shop in Vancouver, as Costa Rica is considered one of the best coffee growing regions in the world - it's the only country where it's illegal to produce any type of coffee other than 100 percent Arabica beans. Though we tried the renowned Tarrazú Geisha coffee before - the most expensive coffee ever sold by Starbucks - we came for the bird-friendly beans found in the Perez Zeledon mountains, an area where mountainous terrain and warm temperatures collide to form the ideal conditions for Arabica beans to flourish.
A word of warning for parents— your kids are one Junior Je-Roamer trip away from breaking your croquet winning streak, taking the "ski-ripper" family title, or showing you up at fishing. Aspen may be an adult’s paradise, but it doubles as a kid’s disneyland. While there are a myriad of adventures to explore, a Je-Roamer favorite is T-Lazy-7 Ranch, where winter is for suiting up to tour the white wonderland via snowmobile, and summer months are remembered for riding horses through Maroon Creek Valley and catching a trophy-sized rainbow trout while fly-fishing for the first time. (Don’t worry, young in age or young at heart, all are welcome.)
You’ve probably heard that dreams come true at a Solage wedding, but what you may not know is that putting on the perfect day is in part thanks to the special surprises planned for the bride and groom (shh… more on that later!) and the less-glamourous, but equally important wedding emergency kit.
Among the lavender beds, clipped boxwood, and myrtle, sculptures curated by Arena Gallery are dispersed throughout Auberge Du Soleil’s grounds. Artworks, ranging from over 60 different California artists, change frequently and delight guests in a treasure hunt of sorts.
Spotted moray eels slither like snakes around the wreckage of MV Oosterdiep near Anguilla’s Mead Bay, while schools of fish dart around its overgrown remains. Lying at the bottom of the cold, dark ocean, ghostly shipwrecks like Oosterdiep capture the imagination—leaving us to wonder about the fate of its passengers.
When fresh snow blankets the ground, everyone in Telluride heads for the mountains. Luckily, Element 52 is carved into the side of one, making it easy to access the slopes. “Our private funicular transports you 200 feet up, dropping you on a trail with lifts,” ...
“Am I really here? Can you pinch me?” said my husband almost every morning during our coffee-sourcing trip to Hacienda AltaGracia. We came to select the perfect beans for our shop in Vancouver, as Costa Rica is considered one of the best coffee growing regions in the world - it's the only country where it's illegal to produce any type of coffee other than 100 percent Arabica beans.
Napa locals who know their fruit know about the strawberry stand on the Silverado Trail. Family run by the Saetern family, this stand is the place to go. You’ll know when you’ve arrived by the number of cars pulled-over near a small, unassuming fruit stand decorated in painted images of strawberries.
In the Marais district of Paris there is an enchanting little bar with Parisian-Bohemian-styled Mexican influenced décor. Miniature pinatas and plastic cactus seem to be set in conversational arrangements with colorful Dia de los Muertos paper dolls and sugar skulls. Mezcal is served straight up or in cocktails accentuated with herbs, citrus and spice. There's a low percussive rhythm of an indistinguishable but unmistakably Latin beat. This delightful collision of culture affirms my belief that mezcal is the next big thing in the cocktail scene.
Drive 15 minutes east on Route 1 from Malliouhana and you’ll find a 16-foot boat, its hull painted bright yellow and green, perched on the beach in Sandy Ground. “This is Elvis’ Beach Bar—Anguilla’s after-party headquarters,” says General Services Manager Deanna Cabrera.
When gushing waterfalls begin to freeze in the deep of winter, Jason Sweet unearths his crampons and curved pick ax, ready for a season of ice climbing. “I was hooked after my first time in Telluride, which is renowned for this,” he says...
In 1592, explorers sailing the Sea of Cortez first had the idea that the Baja Peninsula could act as a perfect refuge for trade ships arriving from a long Pacific voyage. It would be a place to breathe in fresh air and to rest and recharge before continuing on their voyage. Fast forward to present-day Baja and while the type of voyagers have changed, the primary needs have remained the same. Come November, 2018, groups will be able to find their refuge in a new, dramatic oceanfront event space called AIRE.
I love skiing the slopes just as much as any local. But I’ll admit it: Summer might be even better than winter for enjoying elevated adventures at Madeline. Not only is playtime on the peaks infinitely more varied in the warmer months—because of the temperate weather, it’s also the best time of year to play above the peaks. As the days get longer, there’s more time than ever to try these adventures. Here are my top five favorite ways to enjoy the “high” life in Telluride. Why don’t you try one (or all five) this summer?
You can find Marilyn Monroe’s bra on the Aspen slopes— kind of. I'll let you in on the local secret; Aspen’s four ski mountains are covered with mysterious shrines. The snowy sanctuaries are built anonymously and largely dedicated to famous entertainers ranging from Elvis Presley to Jerry Garcia.
As waves licked the shore and the sun painted watercolor strokes, the horses plodded gently across powdery sand, heading toward the cerulean water. “This was no ordinary horseback ride on the beach,” says General Services Manager Deanna Cabrera about her first time at Seaside Stables on Cove Bay. “In Anguilla, they’ll wade right into the ocean to swim—with you still on board!” .
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